Nick Lees: Inspirational people share words of wisdom for 2019

Nick Lees, Edmonton Journal

Updated: December 31, 2018

Jelena Mrdjenovich at her Champs boxing studio in Edmonton on Feb. 28, 2018. She is gearing up for a 2019 boxing match and said her dream of opening her own gym has turned out better than she could have ever expected. Greg Southam / Postmedia, file

As the clock ticks by midnight Monday, we will all hope the New Year will bring us health and happiness.

No one knows for sure what lies ahead in 2019, but here are a few thoughts from Edmontonians.

Thinking of others

Happy birthday to Frank Flaman, who is 85 today and still gives more than $1 million every year to charities. In 2019, his company celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Across the country, Flaman has 45 fitness stores, 95 rental stores and 10 big stores offering everything the company stocks.

“If someone fell over outside my door, I would help them,” said the former farm boy from Southey, Sask.

“By the same token, if there is someone in the world with health problems and lacking basic medical care or hasn’t the basic necessities of life, we should help them. It irks me that so many do well in life and yet help so little.”

Eggnog lattes gone

Global News anc­­hor Jennifer Crosby says for the first time in a long time she intends to make a 2019 resolutions list instead of just trying to do better.

She also plans keep “a gratitude journal,” which she did for many years before she got lazy and dropped it.

“A journal is good for the soul,” she says. “And as soon as January arrives, I’m going to stop living off eggnog lattes and work on my second-level sommelier ticket.”

A workout advertisement

Retired Journal cartoonist Yardley Jones is 88 years old, lives in an assisted living home and doesn’t remember exactly how many 42-km marathons he ran or the number of Kananaskis 100-km ultra-marathons he completed.

“It was a lot of running and included marathons in London, New York, Athens, the Arctic’s Baffin Island and two over Mt. Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales,” he said.

“My sporting career began when I was in the army and boxed my way to being tagged the Uncrowned Light-heavyweight Boxing Champion of Wales.”

He plans to carry on working out every day, cycling on a stationary bike for an hour before doing some upper-body weightlifting and then walking for about 30 minutes.

“Working out pays off,” he said. “I still feel like a young lad.”

The dream continues

Taking a break and home for the holidays are Bill Knight and Grace Knight, who this year have been travelling in their RV down the Pacific Highway and through California to Mexico.

“We came home to spend holidays with our families and look forward to continuing to challenge ourselves,” said Grace Knight.

“We have climbed Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier and a big-ticket item ahead is the Mardi Gras in New Orleans.”

The couple retired from their very successful demolition company in 2016 and now, while on the road, the couple is planning on making their new sales and marketing company, Mosaic Home Services, one of North America’s biggest.

“The inspiration to travel came from years of working 24/7 and not having time to focus on the wonderful things life has to offer,” said Bill Knight.

“It was time to refocus and get back to our true values.”

Big fight in works

Boxer Jelena Mrdjenovich, who won her 50th professional bout at the Shaw Conference Centre in front of a sold-out crowd in April, plans to improve on her 38-10-2 record in 2019. “Another fight is in the works for 2019,” said the eight-time world featherweight boxing champion.

She can’t give details yet, but she is busy training people in her gym at 109 Street and 102 Avenue.

“My hope to introduce my passion for boxing and workouts to the public has been way more successful in my first year than I could have imagined,” she said.

Heading for the top

John Rudolph, magazine writer, coffee-making instructor and co-owner of Page the Cleaner, says his daughter made him rewrite his will when she heard he planned to walk in May to the Nepalese Mt. Everest base camp at 5,364 metres.

“I was invited to go with a University of Victoria medical expedition,” he said. “I am not sure whether or not I am the specimen on the trip. I fear they might be studying how an unfit 60-year-old copes with oxygen deprivation.

“But after deciding I was tiring of plain vanilla experiences in life, I wanted to do something a little more difficult and see something really stunning. I have been training with some light walking for what I consider the Big One of 2019.”

Pea soup wonder

Irish-born Ken Davidson, 73, who ran his 100th marathon in Edmonton Aug. 19, is not quitting.

“I’ve been training this last week and plan to take part in the May 5 Vancouver Marathon,” said Davidson, who on his doctor’s suggestion consumes a can of Campbell’s pea soup every race day to prevent him from running out of energy near the end of the race.

“Vancouver has a great park and seascapes and is a favourite of many marathoners. Runners from more than 65 countries take part every year and give it a party sort of feeling.”

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